Chuck vs the Con
by Costas TT
Summary: Sequel to the New Key and picks up in the summer after the events of the earlier story. Sarah, now having her memory back, plus two buns in the oven, has a couple of guilty pleasures that result in a little surprise for her loving husband, one that will lead to them and a couple of their friends embarking on a nice little adventure - to Comic-Con International. Two chapters long.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** It took a while, but guess what: I'm back and frankly, I missed reading and writing fan fiction a lot. Couldn't be helped though. This two-shot is basically to get the creative juices flowing again. As always, all standard disclaimers apply and any mistakes you find are mine and mine only – you are always welcome to point out any I missed for immediate correction. Without further ado...

* * *

**Chuck vs the Con**

Chuck walked into the house to find his beloved – and heavily pregnant – wife vegging on the couch, an empty carton of Rocky Road on the coffee table between a pregnancy book and a legal pad with her notes. She was being very diligent in learning everything she could about being pregnant.

"Hello ladies," he said cheerfully. Sarah gave him the stink eye. Yes she'd grown big, but she still counted as one woman, in her opinion. "And little gentleman," he added, kneeling on the carpet by her abdomen and addressing his unborn son.

It caused Sarah to smile widely, now completely understanding what he meant. "Welcome home, Chuck. How was work?"

He shrugged. "We're doing OK. Hiring Alex was probably one of your best ideas."

"Then she's doing well."

"Let's just say that she's more than capable."

"Good, but I feel so useless staying in the house all day."

"Sarah, do we have to go over all this again? You know what the doctor said."

"I guess I shouldn't be complaining. It is good to have those two growing so big." She ran a hand over her belly and giggled when one of them kicked.

"Yes, the whole rest thing was more to ease the strain on your back than anything else." He picked up the pregnancy book. "What were you reading this time?"

"I was trying to decide on how I want to give birth," Sarah replied and offered him her notes to read.

"Wow, you've done your homework. There are so many options to choose from."

"I just had an idea. I'll cross out all the options not available at Westside Medical. The hospital was good enough for Ellie, so it should do for us, too."

Chuck inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. He'd always wanted Sarah to give birth to the twins in the safe and controlled environment of a hospital delivery room. "I agree," he said simply.

"Good. Now, help me up. One of those two is using my bladder as a trampoline." She held out her hands for him to pull her upright.

He gladly obliged her. "Holler if you need anything."

"I need food, mister," she shot back before closing the bathroom door.

Chuck leaned against the wall outside the bathroom. "Who's ordering? You, he or she?"

"We kind of agreed on Mexican," Sarah replied without missing a beat. "We could go for a burrito… or five."

"I'll call the Desperado, as usual," he said, referring to their favorite Tex-Mex restaurant.

"We would also like potato chips drowned in nacho cheese to go with our burritos, please. I have several kinds of cheddar cheese dip and everything else you'll need in the kitchen."

"You went grocery shopping?"

She got out of the bathroom and smiled. "I was craving pickles and peanut butter. But I did buy several other things as well."

"I'll make you a virgin margarita as well."

"Excellent. Now off to the kitchen, you," she commanded imperiously. "If want a snack, there's still a peanut butter, pickle and cream cheese sandwich in the fridge... I think."

Chuck grinned. Throughout the pregnancy, Sarah's food cravings were kind of gourmet – he'd never seen her ask for any mismatched food combinations.

They were snuggled together on the couch, waiting for their Mexican to be delivered. As usual, Chuck was fascinated by the constant movement of his children inside Sarah's womb, much to her amusement. As for Sarah, she was wondering if she should pop the surprise before or after dinner. For the moment, she was content to sip her margarita and wait until the burritos she was craving arrived. And then there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it," Chuck said, somewhat redundantly and jumped up to go open the door. Only, instead of the delivery guy, there were three other people outside.

"Hi Chuck," they all said in unison.

"Mom? Emma? Molly?" He stood aside to let them in.

"We ran into the delivery guy, so we picked up your order. It smells good, by the way. What is it?" Mary asked.

"The burritos are for Sarah and the kids. The tacos are for me."

"We brought ice cream!" Molly chirped. Chuck picked her up and carried her to her big sister.

"Look who's here!"

"Hey short round," Sarah smiled as Chuck deposited the little girl on the couch.

"I've told you not to call me that," Molly pouted, but still hugged Sarah.

"Mom, Mary, what brings you here?"

"We haven't seen you for a few days and we figured you and Chuck might need some company and a hand with the housework."

"Much appreciated, thanks," Chuck said.

"Go on, feed your wife and kids," Emma urged him. Soon, he had a tray ready with Sarah's burritos, chips drowned in nacho cheese and one more virgin margarita.

"Should you be eating so much spicy food, Sarah?" Mary asked, seeing her daughter-in-law wolfing down the burritos one after the other.

"It's not like I'm going to pop those two as soon as I'm through with dinner," Sarah smiled. "Besides, they like it."

"I hope you all have room for dessert, Sarah," Molly said, helping herself to a potato chip covered in cheese dip. "We brought Rocky Road."

"I love you guys," Sarah gushed.

Later, Mary and Emma got busy with certain housekeeping tasks, while Chuck was detailed to entertain Molly under the watchful eye of Sarah. She took another sip of her decaf and smiled as Molly succeeded in doing the card trick Chuck had been teaching her. Just then, the two older women rejoined them in the living room after helping themselves to some coffee.

"Chuck, I have something to tell you," Sarah said when her little sister snuggled up against her and their mom on the couch.

"I'm listening."

"Um, I think you'd better sit down."

He sat down on the recliner. "I'm seated."

"I bought tickets to the Comic-Con," she announced. "And I also made reservations in a hotel."

"You what?" To say that everyone was surprised would be a classic understatement.

"We always wanted to go, didn't we? I figured this year would be as good a time as any."

"Um..."

"Think about it, Chuck. It's a great opportunity, considering we won't be able to go once we're busy with the kids."

Her mom tut-tutted. "Sweetheart, you'll have lots and lots of people willing to take care of them for a few days. I'm sure Mary will jump at the chance and so will your Dad, Carina, Molly and I."

"Well, it's too late now, Mom. I got the tickets and we are going." She didn't mention anything about having her own reasons to go to this year's Comic-Con.

"Better not antagonize her, Chuck," Emma said. "She's stubborn as a mule."

"Tell me about it," he chuckled.

Sarah threw a cushion and stuck her tongue out at him when he attempted to protest. Next to her, Molly giggled.

Mary, Emma and Molly stayed with them for a few more hours, leaving when Sarah became drowsy. Chuck took her to their room, helped her change into a comfortable nightgown and guided her to lay on her pregnancy pillow.

"I love you Chuck," she mumbled just before going out like a light. He just stood there, a smile forming on his face when she began to snore lightly. Then he changed into his own pajamas and went to bed.

-o-

Devon had once said that Ellie was a bloodhound when it came to diamonds. Chuck could say the same about Sarah, only her specialty in her current condition was ferreting out food. The smell of something delicious reached her nostrils even before she was fully awake. Licking her lips, she got up with surprising agility for her bulk and waddled to the kitchen. Chuck heard her approaching and gave her a quick kiss before serving her a generous helping.

"By the way, I'm most definitely not putting on my Princess Leia costume," Sarah said suddenly, taking a sip of her chocolate milk. "I look more like a bloated beached whale right now, and it's going to get worse."

"Well, if we want to keep to the Star Wars theme, I can go as Anakin Skywalker and you as Padme… In fact we could…"

"No," Sarah cut him off. "We are most definitely not naming our kids Luke and Leia."

"I am the one with the Intersect and even that cannot give me mind reading powers. How did you know what I was going to say?"

Sarah laughed. "I know you, Chuck. You are the most adorable, incorrigible Nerd ever. I've had plenty of time to learn how your mind works, too."

"Can't we at least put these names on the list of names under serious consideration?"

"Again, no. Do you know how bad they, and especially our little girl, may be razzed in the future if they are stuck with these names?"

"Fine. But we'll dress them up as Luke and Leia for Halloween."

"Only if you agree to take them treat-or-tricking as Darth Vader," she retorted.

"I can do that." He placed a loving kiss on his wife's lips. And then it came to him. "Sarah, are you sure that you can go to the Con in your… condition?"

"Chuck, I'm pregnant, not disabled."

"But…"

"But nothing," she said firmly. "If it makes you feel any better, we can ask my doctor today after the ultrasound."

"Promise me you'll follow her advice."

"You know I'll do everything she says, dummy."

He smiled, relieved to hear that.

"By the way, tell Morgan and Alex that I got tickets and booked a room for them, too."

"You did?"

"It was the least I could do for them, especially considering how much they have been helping us lately both at work and here."

As if on cue, Morgan knocked and when Chuck opened the door he entered with Alex in tow. "Good morning guys," he said cheerfully and turned to Chuck. "Are you ready for work, Boss?"

"Yeah, but first, Sarah here wants to share something with you two."

"We're listening," Alex said.

"Chuck and I are going to Comic-Con in a few days... with you."

"With us?" Morgan echoed.

"You heard me. In fact, everything has been arranged. Tickets, accommodation, the works."

Only Sarah's bulging belly prevented Morgan from jumping on her to give her his koala bear hug, like he had done so many times with his best friend. Instead, he and Alex thanked her effusively, to the point of making her blush.

"Morgan, one more thing," Chuck said. "I'm going to be late for work today."

"Doctor's appointment?" Alex guessed.

"Yes, we have another ultrasound scheduled."

"Then why don't you take the whole day off? Alex and I are more than capable of taking up the slack. Besides, we don't have anything pressing at the office."

"OK, but call me if anything comes up."

"Will do, buddy."

"So," Chuck said once the others left. "How on earth did you get your hands on those tickets? I'm sure the prices on the black market are astronomically high."

"Who said I got them on the black market? I reserved them the day they became available."

"You planned all this in advance?"

"Uh-huh," she nodded smugly. "Was it a nice surprise?"

"Hell yes it was!"

-o-

Sarah's doctor was very satisfied with the progress of the pregnancy so far. Both babies were healthy and developing normally, plus there were no potential red flags. And then came the question from Chuck regarding the trip to San Diego.

"I see no problem with it," the doctor replied. "So far she doesn't appear to be in risk of delivering your kids prematurely, but you know she will tire easily."

Sarah butted in on the conversation. "I've adjusted my plans accordingly and in advance," she assured her doctor.

"Okay then, I believe we have covered everything. Here's your DVD of the sonogram, as usual, Mr. Bartowski."

"Thank you doctor."

"You know, I never understood why you have to have every sonogram on DVD," Sarah said while they were going to get the car.

"I'm a sucker for such mementos. Plus, I have an entire collection of pictures and videos of you to go with them."

"You're such a romantic… Hold on a sec! What do you mean pictures and videos to go with them? You've been taking pictures of your wife looking like a water buffalo?"

"No. I've been taking pictures of my lovely wife who just happens to have two little Bartowski buns in the oven."

Sarah harrumphed. "Delete them."

"The hormones are talking now, honey. Besides, I'm planning on adding to the collection once we're in San Diego."

"The additions will be of me looking like your average pregnant Plain Jane, because I'm not dressing up for the Con. My motto this year is Comfort First."

"You are not a Plain Jane, Sarah... You never were and you never will be. You are the extraordinary Sarah Lisa Walker-Bartowski." He wagged his eyebrows at her and held the door of the car open. She maneuvered herself inside and buckled up.

-o-

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?" Ellie yelled at her sister-in-law before turning, seething, to her little brother. "And you, Chuck, you should have tried to talk her out of this madness!"

"He tried and failed," Sarah said flippantly, not in the least fazed by Ellie's outburst.

"He should have tried a lot harder," Ellie continued.

"Ellie, I'll be fine. We'll _all_ be fine," Sarah insisted. "Yes, it will be crowded, but I'll have Chuck, Morgan and Alex with me."

Just then, Devon walked in with Clara in his arms. "El, babe, can you please turn down the volume a little? You woke Clara up from her nap."

"Sorry Devon," Ellie said, suitably contrite. "But Sarah here bought tickets to Comic-Con International and she wants to go with Chuck, Morgan and Alex."

"I don't see a problem with that, babe."

"A woman in her condition wanting to go to some place crowded and stifling and you see no problem with it?"

"Sis, stop being such a worrywart," Chuck said. "We'll all be looking out for Sarah."

Ellie turned to rip him a new one, but she saw Sarah give her the sad eyes. Predictably, she caved. "Come here, Sarah," she said and enveloped her in a hug. "I don't want to upset you, but I wanted you to be aware of the risks."

"There are no risks," Sarah said firmly. "I talked to my doctor about it earlier today and she had no objections to me going, provided I don't exhaust myself, which I won't."

"Fine, but promise you'll call us every day."

"I promise. And, Ellie?"

"Yes?"

"We missed you, too."

"From now on you'll be back to seeing me every day. The project we went to Chicago for will be continued here."

"I thought you were back for the summer," Chuck said, somewhat dumbly.

"No, we're back for good."

"Indeed," Devon confirmed. "Which brings us to the reason why Ellie came to see you in the first place: we are inviting you to a small dinner party in our place tonight."

"We'll be there," Sarah assured him.

"Good, because I already invited your parents and sisters as well," Ellie deadpanned.

"All of them?" Sarah's hormones took over and she crushed Ellie in a bear hug. It'd been a couple of weeks since she'd last seen her Dad and she knew Emma was missing him just as much.

-o-

The extent of Jack's reaction to the news about the Con was limited to a raised eyebrow and a knowing smile. He knew that his son-in-law would take good care of his baby girl. Therefore, he was content to read Molly a story after dinner, while Carina, Sarah and Ellie were talking girl stuff and Mary was looking at picture albums with Emma, leaving Chuck and Devon to their own devices. After learning that Sarah was pregnant, he'd come back and was formally introduced to little Molly. He'd known about her for a few years, since he kept tabs on the love of his life and their daughters and now they were getting back to being a family. Molly and the as yet unborn grandkids had been the catalyst.

"Daddy?" Molly said, looking up at him.

"Yes, munchkin?"

"I would like to go to Comic-Con some day. It sounds like fun."

"When you are a little older, we'll talk to your Mom about it, OK?"

"OK," the girl nodded vigorously.

"What nefarious schemes are you two hatching?" Sarah asked, maneuvering herself down on the couch with a glass of juice in hand.

"I was telling Daddy about going to Comic-Con," her sister replied.

"I believe we can put that on the to-do list," Sarah said seriously. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Morgan and Alex returning from an evening out. "Morgan's back. Why don't you ask Mom to let you play video games with him?"

"Sure!" Molly chirped and ran to Emma. A mere minute later, Chuck was taking her to Morgan's.

-o-

Sarah had planned it so that they would go to San Diego a full day before the Con started. She already had a travel bag packed, so she spent the morning making Chuck cook her a generous breakfast and then she supervised him as he packed for the trip before directing him to check the car and load their luggage in it. And then the drive to San Diego began.

"Stephen Jackson Bartowski," Sarah said suddenly, about half an hour into the trip.

"Come again?"

"Stephen Jackson Bartowski," she repeated. "I want to name our son after his grandfathers."

"I like it."

"Of course you do," she said smugly.

He drove in silence for a few minutes. "I think I found a name for our baby girl."

"I'm listening."

"Yvonne Elizabeth Bartowski... or Elizabeth Yvonne Bartowski. You choose, but be informed that I'm partial to the former."

"Yvonne Elizabeth Bartowski it is," Sarah agreed. "Our mothers' middle names... they are going to love it."

"Well, they are better than many of the names we suggested at various times, including Nicole and Jameson, Kathy and Andy, Luke and Leia..."

"Good, the matter is settled. And now, can you pull over at the next rest stop? I hafta go... again."

He glanced at the GPS display. "There is one coming up in a couple of miles."

"Goody."

"Still, I'm kind of surprised at how easily we agreed on the kids' names."

"Sometimes, all it takes is a break in the routine, a change of scenery, or something like that for a solution to appear."

"Uh-huh." He then pressed a button, activating a peer-to-peer network with Morgan's car. "Buddy, we're stopping for a bathroom break."

"Again?"

"What do you mean by again, Morgan?" Sarah said testily. "This is the first stop."

"That may be, but we were late leaving because someone wanted to go to the bathroom and then she wanted to go get..."

"Some day, Alex is going to be carrying your baby and she'll make you go through it all with her – if Casey doesn't kill you first for knocking up his little girl," Sarah interrupted him.

"Well said, Sarah," Alex laughed. "Besides, we need to stop for gas."

"Huh?" Morgan asked.

"You forgot to fill up the car," she pointed out. Through the speaker they could hear Chuck and Sarah laughing.

When they left the rest stop, Morgan's car had a tank full of gas and Sarah was contentedly going through a bag of gummy worms. Fortunately, the rest of the road trip turned out to be completely uneventful and soon they were parking the cars in the hotel's parking lot.

"Chuck, help me out, please," Sarah said.

"Sure thing, honey," Chuck replied, carefully helping her exit the car.

"I think someone should invent a portable collapsible jib or something to help pregnant women in and out of cars, don't you think, Chuck?"

"I think I can manage on my own. Even pregnant on two kids, you are not that heavy."

She smiled, appreciating the answer and then led the way to the hotel's front desk. "Hi," she told the receptionist. "My name is Sarah Bartowski and I have a reservation for two rooms under Bartowski and Grimes."

"Yes, Mrs. Bartowski, your rooms are ready. Please sign here."

"Yes, thank you. Morgan, come sign for your room."

"Coming!"

Upstairs, Chuck tipped the bellhop who had carried their luggage for them and paused to survey the spacious room. There was even a pregnancy pillow on the bed. "Nice hotel," he commented.

Sarah also looked very pleased with herself. "I did some digging around the web to find it, even browsed pregnancy related online forums. The place comes highly recommended."

"Would you like to rest, or do you want to do something else? We haven't been here since your high school reunion."

"Let me see... The Con begins tomorrow, so we can do pretty much anything we want today... It's still early, so I could take you around town or something."

"Sure, I'd love to."

"I'll let Morgan know," she said smiling.

Naturally, Morgan and Alex decided to join them on their sightseeing tour. Chuck was driving, while Sarah was giving him directions from the passenger seat. They passed James Buchanan High and Sarah regaled them with stories of the operation undertaken during her reunion. Chuck gleefully added that Sarah had been crowned reunion queen and that he still had her crown. "When the time comes, I'm sure Yvonne will be both prom and reunion queen," he added.

"Who's Yvonne?" Alex asked.

"Our little girl," Chuck replied proudly.

"Ah, so you finally agreed on a name?" Morgan said.

"Actually, we agreed on names for both."

"Congratulations."

"Thanks!" Chuck and Sarah chorused.

Among the places they saw in San Diego was Sarah's old neighborhood, as well as the Convention Center, where the Con was to take place. It was mid afternoon when they finally returned to the hotel for Sarah to take a nap, as she was a little tired, especially since the kids had kept her up for a good part of the previous night. Chuck called Ellie and told her about their first day in San Diego. The rest of the day passed normally, but Chuck could sense that Sarah was privately excited about something. In all probability, it had something to do with Comic-Con beginning the following day. He was going to find out soon enough, so for the moment he was content to cuddle with his wife on the comfortable couch of their hotel room and watch a comedy on TV before heading out for dinner.

Having lived in the city, Sarah could have taken them to a very nice restaurant, yet she chose… "A Wienerlicious?" Chuck gasped.

"I have a sudden craving for hot dogs," Sarah said innocently. In fact, she relished the prospect of visiting a Wienerlicious as a customer and not an employee.

"Next thing we know, she'll be wanting frozen yogurt from a Double O," Morgan joked.

Sarah looked up sharply, as the statement struck a chord. "Is there an Orange Orange around here?"

"Don't ask me," Chuck shrugged.

"The fro-yo chain started after I left the city, so I suggest you look it up on your smart phone or car computer, Chuck." It was not a suggestion, as it seemed, but an order. He smiled and nodded before holding the door of the hot dog parlor open for her and their friends.

The evening out ended early, as the four retired to Morgan and Alex's room for a movie and small talk before finally calling it a night. In their room, Chuck prepared a nice relaxing bath for Sarah. She insisted on him joining her in the tub, wanting a nice relaxing foot massage. And then it was bedtime.

Sarah had proven many times over that she wasn't a morning person. But now, she woke up early, excited at what the day was going to bring. Apparently, the twins were just as excited, as a bout of what she was fond of referring to as breakdancing occurred inside her. She smiled and kicked her husband awake. "Chuck, wake up," she said cheerfully.

"Nuh-uh," he mumbled.

"Chuck, get up! We gotta get ready for the Con."

"What's gotten into you, Sarah? You seem really eager to go."

"I am," she deadpanned. "Help me get up, please." After a quick (by pregnant woman standards) trip to the bathroom, she picked out a navy blue maternity halter dress, put it on and sat at the dresser to do her hair.

"You look lovely," Chuck said, giving her a kiss on the cheek after putting on a t-shirt and jeans. Pregnant or not, Sarah was a veritable fashion Ninja.

"Thanks." She looked at her reflection in the mirror. "Do you think my new jeans would look better on me?"

"How many times do I have to tell you? You look great in anything."

"Not helping," she said in a singsong voice.

"Wear the jeans when we go for dinner tonight."

"Huh. Works for me." She pushed herself up after putting on her sandals. "Where is my bag?"

"This one?" Chuck asked, holding up her messenger bag. It was heavier than usual, but he knew better than to ask what was inside.

"Yup. Now, let's go get Morgan and Alex. The Con awaits!" She was so giddy, she was practically vibrating with excitement. He shook his head and went next door to tell their friends that they were ready to go.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Here it is, people, the final installment of this fic. It was fun to write and I hope you'll enjoy it as much as you did the first chapter. Thank you very much for your comments and support. I hope to start a new story soon, too.

* * *

The small group had breakfast in the hotel's restaurant before taking the cars and driving to the convention center. Chuck and Morgan agreed to take both cars, just in case. They were both appropriately dressed for the occasion, each with a t-shirt from a favorite movie – Tron for Chuck and Star Wars for Morgan. Alex, on the other hand, was casually dressed, in a plain t-shirt and comfortable Capri pants.

"Do you have any idea why Sarah is so eager to go to this year's Con?" Chuck asked his best friend on the way to the parking lot. The two ladies were waiting for them in the air-conditioned comfort of the hotel's lobby.

"I was hoping you, of all people, should know," Morgan replied.

"Nope, not a clue. I… we have been too busy lately to even think about looking it up online."

"Well, Sarah obviously has and something has her excited beyond belief. Do you think her pregnancy hormones have anything to do with it?"

"Again, I don't have a clue. Don't worry though. We are going to find out soon enough."

-o-

As expected, there were already many people waiting patiently for the Con to open its doors. It was still early, but the summer heat was already making itself felt. It caused Chuck to worry about having Sarah wait in her current condition, but he was smart enough not to voice his concerns. For the moment, he paid attention to a brochure she was showing him.

Fortunately, a volunteer saw them and immediately approached. "Excuse me sir, ma'am, you can follow me and avoid the wait out here."

"Thank you," Sarah said, smiling sweetly. She was hiding it, but she was already feeling some discomfort.

"See you on the other side, Chuck," Alex joked.

"You know where to find us," Sarah shot back. Each of their phones included a tracking app showing the location of the others. She and Chuck followed the volunteer inside the convention center, checked in and were directed to an area where they could wait for the exhibition halls to open.

Eventually, they met up with Morgan and Alex, then proceeding to visit quite a few booths. Sarah kept glancing furtively at her watch every few minutes, with none of the others noticing. It wasn't hard for her in there, as people gave her a wide berth. There were some perks to being a lead Zeppelin, she conceded grudgingly to herself.

Chuck noticed that Sarah was showing considerable interest in the illustrated children's books, which he correctly attributed to the babies she was carrying, but misinterpreted it as the reason why she'd been so adamant to attend this year's Comic-Con.

It was in such a stand that one of the true reasons became apparent.

Chuck heard a little child's giggle behind them. At first he didn't pay any attention. Many people had brought their kids to the event. It was the conversation between two adults, obviously the aforementioned kid's parents, that he noticed.

"I don't know why we ignored so many other stands," the man said.

"We ignored them because I did my research before coming here and this publishing house has the best educational books for children. I want our daughter to learn as well as be entertained, don't you agree?"

"How can I not, especially with that kind of argument?"

"Anyway, let's hurry up. My publicist called to remind us to be on station in forty minutes. From what she said, there's already a queue of people waiting. Although I really can't understand why people are so excited about a comic book."

"It's a graphic novel, and dare I remind you it's based on your first book? You also have to promote the new book and a movie."

The woman was an author, Chuck deduced. He failed to notice how Sarah had stiffened next to him. Then she swung into action.

"Excuse me, Dr. Brennan?" Sarah said.

"Yes?"

"My name is Sarah Bartowski and it's very nice to meet you."

"Likewise, Mrs. Bartowski." Brennan then remembered something Booth had said about making casual conversation. "I take it that you either know me from my work in forensic anthropology or from my novels."

"Both, actually," Sarah said. "A working knowledge of forensics was part of my job training and your textbooks were quite extensively used in the course. But I also enjoy your novels very much."

Chuck in the meantime had flashed on both Dr. Brennan and her partner. He ignored the Intersect information and instead focused on the conversation between his wife and the world renowned forensic anthropologist.

"In fact it was the announcement of your presence, among others, at this year's Comic-Con that prompted me to buy the tickets," Sarah continued.

"Thank you, I appreciate it," Brennan said honestly. "It mustn't be easy on you in your condition. By the way, how far along are you?"

"I'm about six months along and due in October."

"Really? Because you look more like you're well in your third trimester."

"I'm expecting twins," Sarah explained.

"Congratulations then."

"Thank you. Now, allow me to introduce my husband, Chuck Bartowski. Chuck, this is Dr. Brennan and Agent Booth."

Greetings were exchanged and then Sarah held a hand out for her messenger bag, which Chuck had been carrying.

"What are you looking for, Sarah?"

"These." She pulled out a copy of Bone of Contention and the Bred in the Bone graphic novel. "Could you please sign them for us, Dr. Brennan? Make the book out to Sarah and the comic to Chuck."

"It will be my pleasure," Bones replied. Booth offered her his floaty pen and she promptly signed the books. "Here you go," she said, handing the items back. "Thank you for reading my work."

"I'd like to thank you too, Dr. Brennan. Your books are a welcome distraction, especially after my doctor recommended that I stay away from work as much as possible."

"What line of work are you in, Mrs. Bartowski?" Booth interjected.

"Chuck and I run Carmichael Industries, a firm specializing in cyber security solutions."

Booth let out a low whistle. "I've heard of your firm. For newcomers in the field you're pretty good." He then leaned in close and lowered his voice. "Are you two former government employees, by any chance?"

Chuck said nothing and stole a quick look at Sarah.

"CIA," Brennan stated, without missing a beat, her voice barely above a whisper. She remembered a blonde young agent looking just like Mrs. Sarah Bartowski, from a classified up the wazoo assignment she'd worked on just after the Emma Arrington case. It was one of the things she couldn't discuss with anyone, not even Booth. But he could put two and two together and figure that Bones and Sarah had crossed paths some time in the past.

"This is something we can neither confirm nor deny," Sarah replied meaningfully, although she knew perfectly well that Dr. Brennan had remembered her. After all, she'd been the one tasked with chaperoning the scientist while she worked on the identification of certain remains. "In any case, here's my card. We do work for law enforcement agencies, so if you need anything from us..."

"Thank you Sarah. I'm sure Angela, our resident computer expert at the Jeffersonian, would like working with you."

In Booth's arms, Christine became fascinated with Sarah's golden locks and since her dad's move had brought her close to them she reached out and took one in her tiny hand. The blonde smiled, gently pinched Christine's cheek and playfully tapped her nose. "You're beautiful too, young lady," she cooed. The little girl giggled and grabbed at Sarah's fingers.

"She likes you," Booth said. "And I think you're going to be a great mom."

"Thank you," Sarah said, beaming at the compliment. She then proceeded to discuss some plot points from the latest Kathy Reichs novel with Bones, while Chuck and Booth looked on, amused.

"Looks like I have a dedicated fan," Bones smiled.

"I concur," Chuck agreed. "I know she's been reading voraciously lately, but I had no idea she was so much into your books."

"Temperance?"

Bones turned to the source of the male voice calling her name. "Richard!" She and the man hugged like the good friends they were.

Sarah's jaw nearly dropped to the floor. This was Richard freaking Castle, her other all time favorite author.

"K-Becks?" Chuck gasped, seeing who was with the writer. He'd never expected to see her again, especially knowing why she'd transferred out of Stanford in the first place.

"Chuck? Chuck Bartowski?" Beckett recognized him, despite not having seen him for years. Of course, Sarah knew who Detective Kate Beckett was. She'd read all the Nikki Heat books as well as the article in Cosmo. Chuck and Kate also hugged.

"K-Becks?" Castle inquired, his curiosity piqued.

"We ran pretty much in the same circles back in Stanford," Kate explained.

"I see. But first, I think a proper round of introductions is in order."

The others agreed and proceeded to do just that.

"Mrs. Bartowski, are you all right?" Kate asked.

"Uh, I... um... yes, I'm fine, thank you. And please, call me Sarah."

"She has the same look you had when you met Joe Torre," Castle whispered in Beckett's ear.

"Well, don't let it go to your head, Ricky," she replied.

"Chuck, the bag," Sarah commanded, snapping out of it. "Mr. Castle, would you mind signing something for me?"

"Anything," he replied. In short order, the latest Nikki Heat book and the new Derrick Storm comic were back in the messenger bag, signed out to Chuck and Sarah by the famous mystery novelist.

"Funny seeing you here, Richard," Bones said.

"I could say the same for you. This is my thing, but I've never seen you in such a convention."

"It was my publicist's idea, especially since one of my books was made into a graphic novel."

"I read it and, let me tell you, they did an excellent job." He then turned to Chuck. "I would very much like to know exactly how you met Kate in Stanford."

Chuck was about to reply when he saw the horrified look on the detective's face and her pleading eyes. "It's a long story," he said diplomatically, much to Kate's relief. "But we were both into graphic novels and sci-fi movies and shows."

Beckett breathed another sigh of relief. Her sordid secrets, or one of them at least, were safe for the moment. "It was fun," she said simply.

"Believe it or not, Becks, I wouldn't be here had it not been for Sarah. She planned the whole thing in advance and now I know why. She wanted to meet both Dr. Brennan and Mr. Castle."

"Now, that I find hard to believe. You are a Nerd with a capital N, Chuck."

"Maybe, but lately I was busy setting up my new business, moving in to our new house, plus expecting twins and I kind of lost touch with the latest developments. Hell, I didn't even know anything about this year's Con. What about you? How are things in New York?"

"Currently, I'm on vacation," she said. Vacation wasn't exactly correct, as she was suspended until September, but it was close enough. "When Rick asked me to join him on his trip, I said yes, having nothing better to do. Anyway, I forgot to congratulate you on becoming a dad, so... congrats."

"Thanks."

"Have you decided on names yet?" Castle butted in.

"As a matter of fact, we did. We are going to name them Stephen and Yvonne."

"You're having a boy and a girl, huh? I'd name them Luke and Leia if I were you."

Chuck laughed and Kate did her signature eye roll. "I suggested those names, but Sarah almost bit my head off."

"I don't know what that means," Bones said. "Why were those names so averse to you, Sarah?"

"They are the names of twins from Star Wars," Sarah explained.

"Oh."

"Bones, you need to pay more attention on movie nights," Booth said.

She glared at him. "It's almost impossible to do that with a fussy infant in the house, as you perfectly well know, Booth."

Cue baby babble from Christine, prompting laughter from the adults and a couple of kicks from the unborn twins.

"See, Chuck? Don't complain when those two interrupt the furthering of my pop culture education," Sarah said, pointing at her own swollen abdomen.

Booth looked at his watch and nudged Bones, who immediately understood. "Excuse us, but we have to pick up Booth's son from a video games stand and then I have to be on station for the signings."

"By all means, Temperance," Castle said. "Before I forget, this is for you and your partner." He pulled a Derrick Storm graphic novel from his bag, autographed it and handed it to his friend.

"Thank you Richard. I'm sure Booth will appreciate it."

"So will you, Bones," Booth said. "Thank you Mr. Castle."

"You, me the beer hat and this book in the tub when we get back to DC?" Brennan was heard to say as she, Booth and Christine left to go find Parker. She got an answer in the form of a deep male laugh and an arm around her shoulders.

"She's a great person," Castle said.

"I've only just met her, but I agree," Sarah nodded. "And she's a great author as well. My favorite, in fact, together with you."

"I'm honored."

Chuck and Kate were watching Castle and Sarah talk. "Becks, why aren't you in your Nebula 9 outfit?" Chuck asked her.

"Sssshhhhhh!" Kate shushed him, looking, somewhat alarmed, over at Castle to see if he'd heard anything. "The absolute last thing I need on this Earth is Castle razzing me for it."

"He doesn't know, then."

"That I was a sci-fi loving, costume wearing geek? No, not yet. Besides, I wouldn't put it past him using it as part of Nikki Heat's background."

"In all fairness, Nikki Heat _is_ based on _you_, Becks."

"Yeah, well, she's not me, Chuckles."

Just then, Castle and Sarah rejoined them, Castle having an arm around her shoulders. "Well, Chuck, as it turns out your wife is a hardcore Castle groupie... Just like the lovely Detective Beckett here."

"She has read – and liked – Hell Hath No Fury," Beckett guessed.

"I loved it," Sarah confirmed. "It was so over the top that it was hugely entertaining and no, it's not my raging hormones talking right now."

"My Sarah has excellent taste," Chuck said. "She found a copy of At Dusk We Die when she moved in with me, read it in one sitting and became hooked on your books, just like she was on Dr. Brennan's."

"Ah, so I have you to thank for playing a crucial part in making her a fan of my work."

"You're welcome," Chuck replied.

"Chuck, can we continue this over a light lunch? Your kids are hungry again."

"Now, this is something I can totally get behind," Castle agreed. "I'm starving."

"Aha!" Sarah crowed. "A man after my own heart." She looped her arm around Castle's. "Lead the way, Gallant Sir. You coming, guys?"

Chuck and Kate shared a laugh over the others' antics and fell into step behind them, animatedly discussing the last Stanford versus NYU game.

-o-

"I'm an acknowledged expert on denials, Rick," Sarah told Castle, midway through lunch. "I was in love with Chuck for almost three years before I admitted it to him. You are head over heels for your muse and so is she. Is she playing hard to get, or are you two together and hiding it?"

"Rick, please forgive Sarah's bluntness," Chuck intervened. "But…"

"I know, Chuck. It's her pregnancy hormones that make her act like this. No worries, though. Kate and I are together, finally, and we're closing on two months."

"Congratulations and you can rely on our discretion," Sarah said.

"What she said," Chuck agreed.

"One more thing, Rick," Sarah said. "You know I love your books, right?"

"Yes?"

"If you need anything on cyber security, hacking and cyber espionage, don't hesitate to give me a call. Chuck, our friends and I will be happy to help." She handed him her Carmichael Industries business card.

"Cyber Heat," Castle said suddenly, his eyes lighting up.

"Huh?"

"I'm already thinking of a case where Nikki Heat comes up against a hacker or group of hackers... or investigates the murder of one. I think it's going to be good. Or should I call it Virtual Heat?"

Beckett glared at him. "You are the novelist, Rick. But I hate it when you do that." She turned to Sarah. "Consider yourself lucky for not being involved with a bestselling author, Sarah."

"I may not be a bestselling author, but Sarah is my muse, just like K-Becks is yours," Chuck said smugly.

"Do tell," Castle said, leaning forward.

"Down boy," Beckett scolded him.

"Well, I'm writing code for a computer game on my free time," Chuck said. "The leading character is going to look just like Sarah."

"What?" Sarah gasped.

"Surprise, honey," Chuck said, a bit lamely. "I figured this was as good a time as any to spring it."

"For what it's worth, I think it's very sweet of him," Kate said.

"You need to pick up the pace, because once your kids are born, you won't have time for anything else," Castle advised him.

"Good advice," Chuck agreed. "But I'm certain it'll be done before September."

"Send me a copy. I'm serious."

"Of course," Chuck said, without missing a beat.

"Does anyone want more soda?" Kate asked, getting up. All did, so Chuck volunteered to assist her. Sarah sighed as they went to the stand.

"What is it?" Castle asked her.

"Nothing... it's just... Those pants look so good on Kate and I found myself wondering when I'll be able to wear something like them, her shirt, and her shoes, again," she replied, eying Beckett's form-fitting jeans, open-necked shirt and killer heels.

"Strange... I thought Chuck would be complimenting your looks every chance he got. I used to do it with my first wife all the time when she was pregnant on my daughter."

"He does and it drives me insane. I had to threaten him with grievous bodily harm if he did that more than twice a day. I know how I look right now and, believe me, I'm happy to be an expectant mom, but I do miss my old figure."

"I take it the pregnancy wasn't planned, right?"

"Not really," she admitted. "We were on a business trip in Japan when it happened." A spy mission can be considered a business trip, right? "His best friend had filched the emergency reserve condom from Chuck's wallet – again – and I made a mistake doing some mental arithmetic about my cycle."

"OK, now that's kind of TMI, Sarah."

"Men," she huffed, somewhat annoyed at the male tendency to shy away from certain female issues. "Anyway, to cut to the chase, I got pregnant that day, six months ago." She stopped talking and looked at him questioningly. "Don't you have a signing or something to go to?"

"No, mine is scheduled for later. Right now, I want to enjoy the Con. It's been ages since I last came here."

"Don't you have the Supernova Con in New York?"

"Yes, but it's not the same, although I will be going there, too."

Meanwhile, Chuck and Kate were waiting their turn to order the sodas. "What do you think they're talking about, Becks?"

"Beats me, although Castle may be giving her parenting advice. He's a father, you know."

"Uh-huh. Ten to one Sarah interrogates me later about what you and I were up to back in Stanford, even though she knows about the girl I was dating back then."

"Ditto for Castle. He gets too curious sometimes, especially when he's after more pulp for his fiction. By the way, Chuckles, I meant to ask you, do you have any photos of the, ahem, you know, gatherings from Stanford?"

"Sure I do."

"Here with you?" Kate hissed.

"No, they are in a photo album back home."

"Good, because I wouldn't hear the end of it from Castle, like I told you."

"He's going to find out, eventually."

"Maybe, but not now." She stopped talking, as it their turn came. Soon, they rejoined Castle and Sarah.

"Kate mentioned something about you being a Nerd, Chuck," Castle said, once they were all settled again.

"Guilty as charged," Chuck smiled.

"I was thinking… Maybe you could suggest a few cool gadgets for me."

"Please," Kate scoffed. "You've already got enough toys."

"No, Rick is right," Chuck objected. "One can never have enough cool gadgets. Well, I have a few in mind, plus several classified ones that are exclusively used by government agencies and not available to the general public."

"But you have used them."

"I've handled government contracts," he obfuscated. It was not like he could tell Castle about the Intersect and its related gear, like the Orion laptops, the Key, the blocker or the installation/update glasses.

"Go on," Castle urged him.

"Off the top of my head, I can tell you about watch tracking devices with the related smartphone app…"

"Something Alexis is certain not to appreciate," Kate interjected.

"I was thinking more along the lines of Ryan and Esposito knowing where we are while working on cases... just in case they have to, say, rescue us from a starving tiger, and us knowing their whereabouts, in case we have to save their asses."

Beckett rolled her eyes and punched him in the shoulder, but said nothing.

"Apples!" Castle used his safe word against further attempts by Kate to inflict bodily harm on him.

"Watch communicators," Chuck continued.

Castle smiled. "These we can use. How hard is it going to be to get me four?"

"Four?"

"Yes, for me, Kate and the rest of the team."

"It will take a while."

"Well, I'm a patient man. Do these watches have any more cool functions by any chance, like lasers?"

"You watch too many James Bond movies."

"I had to ask, Chuck."

"Still, I have some more nice stuff you can use, such as a peer to peer network for your cars."

"Neat," Castle commented. "Did you make them yourself?"

"I use commercially available components, but the design and integration is all me."

"Money is no object," Castle said. "What else have you got?"

"Let me think... well, there is a kit to convert any flat screen TV into a two-way secure videoconference setup. But I wouldn't recommend it for your bedroom TV."

"Noted," Kate nodded.

"Your groupie here can handle your order," Chuck said, playfully nudging Sarah.

"It will be my pleasure," she stated simply.

Just then, someone from Black Pawn called Castle to let him know that everything was ready and he could come to the stand in ten minutes.

"That's it for now, folks. Kate, we should be going."

"Hold on a sec," Sarah said. "Kate, this might seem a little strange to you, but since you are the inspiration for Nikki Heat and you are friends with Chuck, perhaps you could sign my book as well."

"Why not?" Kate said affably. "If anything, it will be even more valuable in the future," she joked and gladly obliged Sarah.

"After this is over, maybe you can come to LA for a few days, Kate," Chuck said, hugging her and giving her a peck on the cheek. "Ellie has said several times that she would like to see you again."

"She remembers me?"

"Yup. Kind of hard not to, given how much publicity you've attracted over the past few years."

"I have Castle to blame for it, but I may just take you up on your offer."

"See you soon, then."

"See you soon," she agreed.

-o-

When they finally got back to the hotel, they were all exhausted, especially Sarah. But they were happy, too. Taking a few days off to go to the Con turned out to be just what they needed. As it turned out, they were able to see Booth, Bones, Christine, Castle and Beckett again, as Sarah had bought four-day passes. Plus, Beckett kept her promise and visited Chuck and Sarah in Burbank after the Comic-Con was over, spending a couple of fun-filled days with her old friend and his family. Afterwards, they made sure to keep in touch. Chuck was glad that Sarah had done what she'd done and it made him love her even more, if that were possible to begin with. As for Sarah, the whole Con thing had been refreshing and kept her in a good mood for the rest of the summer.

THE END

* * *

**P.S.:** As you may have guessed, the crossover with Bones and Castle is kind of AU, presupposing that either the events of the Bones season 7 finale happened differently, or the situation was resolved before the Comic-Con, plus Castle learned about Beckett's Stanford nickname earlier (but not about her Nebula 9 obsession). I felt the above had to be explained.


End file.
